Clams “á la buzara”
The path of restaurant Sonja begins in a picturesque Istrian village above the town of Izola in 1988, when delicacies made from the gifts of Istrian soil were first served on a plate in the restaurant. In the new millennium, after more than a decade of preparing home-made Istrian food, the restaurant transferred to a new location in the most well-known fishing town in Slovenia – Izola. In Izola’s small fishing port you can still see wooden boats, from which fishermen offer their daily catch. You can smell the sea from the restaurant’s terrace while enjoying a glass of local wine and letting yourself be spoiled with delicacies offered by Istrian soil and long-standing tradition.
The secret to our restaurant’s success is constancy and care for the quality of ingredients.
Restaurant Sonja is a family restaurant managed by Dušan Brkić.Ever since his childhood, Dušan has been spending his summers in the restaurant. In quest for something new, his love of cuisine led him to expand his business by starting a catering service. Over a ten year period, catering has become an important part of the business and requires more and more attention. In the beginning of this year, for example, restaurant Sonja was in charge of catering for approximately 1,000 people in the staff bistro during the UEFA Futsal EURO 2018 in Ljubljana. Among other things, Dušan finds his inspiration in travels, which are almost always related to culinary arts.
I am still most inspired by London’s restaurant scene.
1. WHEN IT COMES TO SPICES AND CONDIMENTS I LIKE TO USE OLIVE OIL.
2. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT ISTRIAN CUISINE BECAUSE OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF INGREDIENTS.
3. I CAN’T PREPARE FOOD WITHOUT ADRENALINE.
4. I AM THE HAPPIEST WHEN AN EMPTY PLATE RETURNS TO THE KITCHEN.
5. VISIT US AND EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOUR OF TRADITION.
When preparing mussels à la buzara there is no need for salt – the best flavour comes from the mussels themselves.
Mussels “á la buzara”
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons of olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic
2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
0,5 of a bunch of parsley
2 dl of white wine
1 kg of fresh mussels (eg. Mediterranean mussels, oysters, clams, Arca noae)
PREPARATION
Clean and wash the mussels. Once they are scrubbed, let them soak in water until all dirt is removed. Peal and finely chop the garlic. Pluck the parsley leaves from the stems and finely chop them. Heat the olive oil in a wide pot. Sauté some garlic and stir it just until it gives off a pleasant aroma. Add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs, half of the previously chopped garlic and white wine. Mix well and bring to a boil. Once the wine is boiling, add the cleaned mussels and sprinkle the remaining parsley over them. Cover the pot and cook the mussels at high temperature for 10 minutes. Shake the pot several times while cooking. When the mussels are cooked, discard the unopened ones. Take the opened mussels out of the pot and serve them. Put the remaining breadcrumbs into the pot containing the sauce. Stir well and season with salt, if necessary. Cook the sauce for another 1-2 minutes and then pour it over the mussels. Serve the dish with fresh, preferably homemade, bread.
